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When I got diagnosed with prostrate cancer in early November, it was already "stage 4".
IOW. it had already entered the bone.
Radiation therapy helped some relieve cancer-caused sciatica.
Hormone blocking therapy however, did not work very well.
Lately, though the pain in the lower back has been increasing.
I had just gotten discharged from the hospital Saturday. Sunday night my lower legs went numb and I realized I was an extreme fall risk. I called for an ambulance (no sirens) and got gurneyed back in for the first time.
Now, I am in long term care, with an emphasis on palliative care..... in a facility where I used to sing hymns and spirituals for around 10 years or so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (benefits to that turned out to be HUGE)
edit for story of huge benefit:
When I got the the news I was going to be discharged from the main hospital, I got the bad news from the hospital discharge office that my insurance was so weak ("county medical" through a good company though) that only one obscure hospital in a neighboring county town 45 minute away would take my insurance AND had an open bed. My wife said "I'll never see you again!". I told her to call the activity director at the hospital where I had performed the longest and where my wife had done her rehab for a broken hip. My wife also has a couple of prayer warrior friends, and she got them going, and before I knew it (and I wasn't actually thinking of it, the activity director had wangled a bed for me at that hospital in spite of the bean counters' normal tendencies.... not just because I was a performer, but because I consistently went over my paid hour to make sure that the residents got what they needed, including occasional late-birds. I did revamp my insurance coverage with Social Security so I will get better coverage and they won't lose money on me, but I could be sitting right now where friends and wife could NOT visit, and no one knew me.... as it is, half the staff knows or recognizes me either as the performer or the guy that visited his wife here last winter.
What goes around comes around in positive ways too!
Most of the time, my morale is very good. I have had a couple of bad nights though;
If you pray, pray especially for me doing well at night.
I have my baritone uke with me and can play it in bed.
Tbe former bluegrass jam leader has given me her old CD player and supplies some great BG CDs.
I could also play clawhammer banjo or electric guitar.
Fiddle, alas is hard to play horizontally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Overall, the foundation of faith mentioned in "Fiddlepogo's Sometime Strange Life Story" is the biggest part....
As a Bill Gaither song says:
"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
"Because He lives, all fear is gone.
"Because I know-ow-ow He holds the future,
And life is worh he living, just because he lives!"
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